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Get out and listen!

Yesterday my wife and I went to the Seattle Symphony at Benaroya Hall. It had been far too long that I'd heard live instruments that weren't rock or country, thus greatly amplified. There's something very different about the symphony or chamber or classical music in general when it's live than the aforementioned genres.

We were in row L, just off center and had a great place to enjoy the performance. Not too close and yet close enough to hear nuances. Of course the second thing I did right after letting myself be immersed was to consider the contrast between my system and a live performance. I'm not going to say that my system rivals a live performance! I am going to say that within the limitations that we all deal with (space, budget, esthetics) that it acquits itself acceptably. If anything, it might be a bit heavy on the bottom end. I need to dial back my sub a bit.

Anyway, the reason for my post is simply to encourage audiophile to get out and listen to the real thing. There is a movement in Handel's Water Music that begins with a pair of french horns that literally brought tears to my eyes. Despite all the time, effort and money we spend on our rigs, there is simply nothing that compares to the real thing. Nothing... Happy Listening.

https://seattlesymphony.org/en/concerttickets/calendar/2022-2023/22bar1

 

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charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 

For the rest of the night she used a mic. Just too hard on the chops not to, I guess. But I asked around the table at the end of the night, everyone agreed that was the best part and the most exciting thing most of us ever heard

That is a good observation. When vocalists perform at the local jazz venues or Steinway Gallery, they use microphones. The musicians do not.  Too much strain for the vocal cords? Very likely so. I’ll take what I can get. Un-microphoned tenor saxophone, trumpet, cello? Pure bliss.

Charles

tony1954's avatar
tony1954
1,036 posts
 

Couldn't agree more.

Live, unamplified music provides a reference point.

Opera (various Met performances) and big band jazz, when it was an option (Woody Herman, Buddy Rich) were the purest music I have ever heard.

 

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mdishler
3 posts
 

One cold night in December many years ago I was at the Metropolitan Opera for Daniel Barenboim conducting Tristan and Isolde. I was in the first (lowest) balcony, 2nd row, about in the center. The most expensive seats, and I now see why.  The best acoustics in the house.  The voices of course were glorious, but what I couldn't believe was the timbre of the instruments.  The sound was "other worldly" pure.  I really was thinking for a bit, does this orchestra use different quality instruments or something?  I really got what acoustics mean in a concert hall more than I ever have.  I've sat in many seats at the Met and this was different.   Barenboim was a master for this opera, and the balance between the orchestra and the vocalists was like a perfect, graceful dance. If you had Jeff Bezos' or Elon Musk's money I seriously doubt that you could put together a system that would recreate that experience.  But my "audiophile training" and listening I'm sure played a large part in me being able to have this sort of appreciation. 

             

 

slaw's avatar
slaw
21,402 posts
 

Been to two live shows recently. 👏

cd318
2,636 posts
 

@mdishler 

If you had Jeff Bezos' or Elon Musk's money I seriously doubt that you could put together a system that would recreate that experience.

 

Apparently Musk has a different set of goals.

Pity.

Its even more of a pity that he didn't find a better dealer than the one he did.

 

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